On momstown Niagara Community Blog

When buying an original piece of artwork from an artist, you are not just buying a painting or sculpture. You are buying hundreds of hours of failures and experimentations, dreams, feelings, thoughts and memories.You are buying days, weeks and even months of frustration and moments of pure joy.You are not just buying a thing, you are buying a piece of heart, part of a soul and a moment of someone’s life.You are buying something that is singular and as unique as a snowflake that speaks to you and inspires you. It is a piece of artwork that tells a story, maybe even your story.You are buying a piece of artwork that is an investment that will increase in value over time. It is something that you can pass down from generation to generation.Most importantly, you are buying the artist more time to do something that they love and are passionate about.You will get so much, and give back so much more, by buying an original piece of artwork from a local artist. So why would you ever consider purchasing imitations from a box store?Originals Art Shoppe is an innovative way to find unique and diverse talents of countless artists, living and working in Southern Ontario.Originals Art Shoppe provides works encompassing every genre, every theme and every medium - over 250 original pieces of artwork from pottery to photography to paintings and pastels. Originals Art Shoppe makes personal collection and home decor easy, affordable and rewarding for everyone.Finding Us:www.facebook.com/OriginalsArtShoppewww.twitter.com/Originals_Artwww.OriginalsArtShoppe.caCheck us out on Saturday, November 1st from 1:30-7pm and Sunday, November 2nd from 12:30-5pm at 270 Sherman Ave N, Hamilton. There will be 20,000 sq ft of incredible artwork by over 50 artists from across the Golden Horseshoe as well as a variety of local crafters. (Admission and parking is free - children’s art activities will be available throughout both days)

A new online shopping experience is giving local artists a chance to market and sell their artwork.

And for Cayuga artist Ron Wilkie, the new business gives him the time to continue doing what he loves to do.“For me, I’m the kind of artist who likes to do the artwork and not have to do the selling, so Amanda [McIntyre-Lawson] is good at the other end of it,” he said.

McIntyre-Lawson is the owner of Originals Art Shoppe – an online database that features over 250 original artworks from about 50 artists mostly from the Golden Horseshoe area. “The way that the site is set up is you could search for any particular theme, and it’s also searchable by location,” she said, adding that this allows buyers to tap into local talent in their own area. The business prides itself in offering original pieces to art enthusiasts, collectors and even those looking to decorate their home or office. The former Binbrook resident said artists tend to like her format because it gives them more publicity, and buyers like it too. “It’s not like an art gallery where it’s intimidating,” she said. This format, she said, gives buyers a relaxed opportunity to search for original artwork that speaks to them. While the business officially launched in the spring, she said it’s been in the works for at least a year and the response, she said, has been positive. “We definitely have a variety of artists,” she said, which includes world-renowned artists as well as talented artists that are up and coming. “I work with artists that have a high caliber level of work, and they have an excellent artist CV and experience as well,” she said. “If someone has something special and I can see it in their work then absolutely I’m going to take them on.” Wilkie is one of about four other local artists from Haldimand County who are featured on the website. “It’s a good match for me because Amanda is very aggressive,” said Wilkie. “She likes to go out and sell things, and I’m the type of artist who just doesn’t have the time to do that.” When McIntyre-Lawson is not curating for other artists, she immerses herself into the art world through her own work. She has a degree in visual arts from York University and a diploma in interior decorating. “I tend to dabble in a lot of different areas, but my forte is definitely water colour painting and print-making,” she said. “I’ve been an artist for the last 10 years and I’ve sold over 100 of my own work.” McIntyre-Lawson has curated over 40 exhibits in the past three years with artists across Ontario. “I’ve been constantly getting contacted about being an agent for most of these artists, so I put Originals Art Shoppe together so I could enable artists to have a much bigger impact and be able to sell their pieces easier.” For more information on Originals Art Shoppe, visit www.originalsartshoppe.ca.

If the thought of buying "art" from a big box store makes you shudder, you'll want to check out Originals Art Shoppe. And by "Shoppe" we mean website, since Originals exists only on the web. Boasting a roster of talent, including local artists Michelle Prosek, Susan Ewert and Eileen Bird, Originals is an online gallery that sells originals works. Pick your piece, pay via Paypal and wait for it to be shipped to your home.

Launched! Originals Art Shoppe - an innovative artwork database - is a radiant online prism through which the unique-and-diverse talents of countless artists (living-and-working in Southern Ontario) are made available for purchase, problem-free, to all those who appreciate great works; who are drawn to enchantment and the exceptional - or: simply, who like what they see, when they see it.Providing works encompassing every genre; every theme; every form; every medium - over 250 original pieces from pottery to photography to paintings to pastels (to list but a few) - Originals Art Shoppe makes personal-collection and home-decor easy, affordable and rewarding for everyone.